Energy, fitness, and information-augmented electromagnetic fields in Drosophila melanogaster. J Sci Explor 2000;14:217–231

Abstract—Exposure of developing larvae to a few specific electromagnet-ic fields (EMFs) and information-augmented EMFs modified (a) the ex-pression of larval development time, a genetically based trait relevant to development and whole organism fitness, and (b) a measure of energy me-tabolism, the [adenine triphosphate/adenine diphosphate] ([ATP]/[ADP]) ratio in isofemale strains of Drosophila melanogaster. The study represents a compilation of approximately 10,000 larvae and 7,000 adults counted. The specific EM frequencies used in this study, 5.0, 7.3, 8.0, and 9.3 MHz at output power levels in the approximately 1 microwatt range, were pro-duced by two small electronic devices of physically identical nature, but one was intentionally imprinted with specific information. Exposure peri-ods varied from 4 hours to one life cycle. Larval development time was sig-nificantly shortened (approximately 10%) and the [ATP]/[ADP] ratio sig-nificantly increased (approximately 30%) in a Faraday cage without the EMFs compared to a Faraday cage with the specific EMFs. The Faraday cage represents a shielded environment that facilitates exposure to both fewer and specific electromagnetic frequencies. Larval development time results for development in the laboratory environment, which represents exposure to background EMFs of various frequencies, were intermediate. The information-augmented EMFs also gave intermediate results. Overall, there were no significant effects observed for the other measured fitness components—third instar larval weight, adult survival, and surviving adult weight. We discuss a thermodynamic model to account for our results and general bioelectromagnetic effects and attribute the change in development time to EMFs modifying electron transport chain activity and the [ATP]/[ADP] ratio via the influence of the EMF/magnetic vector potential upon electron availability and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide levels